Some more answers about heart attacks

What is the main cause of a heart attack?

Coronary heart disease that stops the blood flow to the heart. This the build-up of plaque in the arteries which is formed over time by proteins, fatty acids (cholesterol) and inflammatory cells. The plaque causes a rupture which sends blood clotting cells (platelets) to the site of rupture, clotting the blood and not allowing it to get to the heart.

What is coronary heart disease?

Coronary heart disease is the build-up of plaque inside your coronary arteries which are responsible for transporting oxygenated blood to your heart. From our youth, plaque can start to go into your blood vessel walls, and as we get older the plaque builds up. This causes your artery walls to inflame and the risk of blood clots and heart attacks to rise.

In simple terms, this plaque causes the inside of your blood vessels to become sticky, then, things like lipoproteins, calcium and inflammatory cells as well as cholesterol start to accumulate, increasing the plaque and causing the vessels to narrow.

In most cases, the affected artery may create new blood vessel to get past the blockage and get blood to the heart. But, if you are experiencing high levels of stress, the new arteries may not be able to effectively transport blood to the heart.

In other cases, the ruptured plaque creates a blood clot, causing a heart attack.